Al Gore Takes Home the Statue!  —  Frankly, I'm thrilled but not surprised.  An Inconvenient Truth was a teriffic documentary, plus, let's face it, politics plays a role in the selection process.  Congrats, Al!  Here's a little video compilation of the Vice President's big night.  —  Download (1058) |

Live Blogging The Oscars  —  9:14 - The Departed wins Best Picture.  Worst of the nominees by far.  Good night all.  Thank you for the great comments.  It was fun watching your live-blogging.  —  9:13 - If there were any justice they would all be "Brad Grey Producer."  —  9:11 - I think this is it.

Seymour Hersh: Negroponte-Iran Contra—Funds-al Qaeda...Oh my!  —  Sy Hersh tells us that the echos of Iran Contra weighed heavily in Negroponte's decision to resign his post and is claiming that Bush is funneling money without authorization or oversight that has ended up in the hands of Sunni jihadist groups.

ANGELINA A BABE AMID BRAINIACS  —  The prestigious Council on Foreign Relations is about to get a jolt of sex appeal.  —  The exclusive, Manhattan-based foreign-policy group has decided to admit actress Angelina Jolie, a U.N. goodwill ambassador who has taken more than 30 trips worldwide …

The limits of biography  —  If the stakes weren't so high, the efforts of Democrats to use combat veterans to push a defeatist foreign policy might be amusing.  In 2004, the vehicle was John Kerry.  Somehow, the Dems convinced themselves that his service in Vietnam would insulate him and the party …

REPORT: AL SHARPTON'S ANCESTORS WERE SLAVES OWNED BY STROM THURMOND'S RELATIVES  —  Feb. 25: Rev. Al Sharpton speaks after genealogists discovered he is a descendent of a slave owned by relatives of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond.  —  NEW YORK — The Rev. Al Sharpton said Sunday it was …

APPEAL FOR REDRESS: ASTROTURFING  —  This post originally appeared at MilBlogs in October, 2006.  While some of the information uncovered herein has since made it's way into smaller media outlets, most major mainstream media sources are still reporting this effort as a "grass roots" campaign.

MTP Transcript for Feb. 25, 2007  —  Carl Levin, Dan Balz, Maureen Dowd, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Byron York  —  MR. TIM RUSSERT: Our issues this Sunday: On October 11th, 2002, a majority of Democratic senators voted to give President Bush the authorization to go to war in Iraq.

The Choice on Iraq  —  "I appeal to my colleagues in Congress to step back and think carefully about what to do next."  —  Two months into the 110th Congress, Washington has never been more bitterly divided over our mission in Iraq.  The Senate and House of Representatives are bracing …

Mild Weather Takes Edge Off Chinese Ice Festival  —  Residents of Tourist City Blame Global Warming  —  HARBIN, China — The hands had melted off a delicately entwined couple of ballet dancers crafted by an ice-sculpting team from Vladivostok.  Eaves fashioned from packed snow drooped …

Blast Kills 40 as Cleric Assails Baghdad Plan  —  A suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings blew himself up at a Baghdad university today, killing at least 40 people and strewing fingers, pens, purses and bloody textbooks all over the ground.

The Oscar thread; Update: Goracle (almost) announces!  Update: Gore wins Oscar for Best Social Consciousness; Update: Scorsese wins  —  Tonight's the night Hollywood takes a break from disclaiming responsibility for any of the culture's ills to congratulate itself for having so much influence over the culture.

Iraqi President Falls Ill  —  Jalal Talabani, 73, Flown To Jordan For Medical Treatment  —  (CBS/AP) Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Jordan late Sunday for medical treatment amid conflict reports about his health.  Sources in Amman and from Talabani's office in Baghdad told CBS News …

In Big Buyout, Utility to Limit New Coal Plants  —  Under a proposed $45 billion buyout by a team of private equity firms, the TXU Corporation, a Texas utility that has long been the bane of environmental groups, will abandon plans to build 8 of 11 coal plants and commit to a broad menu …